Self Supporting Colonies Asked by Actions Group

April 5, 1934

JERUSALEM (Apr. 4)

The Actions Committee of the World Zionist Organization, which expects to end its sessions today, passed a resolution authorizing the Executive of the World Zionist Organization to complete negotiations for a large loan with which to consolidate the debts of the organization and for putting the Palestine settlements of the Jewish Agency on a self-supporting basis.

According to the terms of the resolution passed by the Actions Committee the World Executive will have full powers for signing any guarantees or pledges demanded by the bankers, even to the extent of guarantees which may affect the budgetary right of the World Zionist Congress.

The entire night session of the Actions Committee meeting, undertaken to speed the work of the group, was devoted to the important problem of immigration to Palestine.

PREFERENCES DECIDED

Resolutions on the subject introduced by Isaac Gruenbaum of Poland, head of the immigration department of the executive of the Jewish Agency, were adopted by the Actions Committee. The resolutions provide that preference for immigration certificates be granted to:

1. Those knowing Hebrew.

2. Chalutzim, pioneers, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-seven, who have completed the full Hachshara or training period.

3. Qualified laborers and artisans belonging to Zionist groups where Hebrew is spoken.

4. Small business men, who are to receive certificates only upon transferring pound250 to Palestine.

The only relatives of Palestine citizens entitled to certificates are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and brides, the resolutions declared. Married women supporting themselves are entitled to bring over relatives on certificates.

RECOGNIZE CHALUTZIM GROUP

The resolution also provided that the Chalutzim section of the Jewish State Party, formerly the Democratic Revisionists headed by Meyer Grossman, was to be recognized as an official body by the Actions Committee.

Gruenbaum’s report also defined the status of the Palestine offices in the various countries of the world. The offices abroad are to consist of representatives of all the political groups represented at the last Congress. The Jewish Agency was authorized to close or dissolve any Palestine office working contrary to its instructions.

The Actions Committee also decided that the Hechalutz representative in Palestine offices of various countries should from now on have full voting power on all questions that come up before the offices, instead of voting only when the question concerned chalutzim.

The Actions Committee also adopted resolutions calling for a determined fight against land speculators. Act of sabotage and propaganda against the Jewish National Fund or other Palestine institutions will be considered breaches of Zionist discipline, it was announced.

No immigration certificates will be sent to Austria and the Palestine office in Vienna will not be recognized by the World Zionist Executive as long as the expelled Poale Zionists will not be restored to their places on the Palestine office, Berl Locker, Laborite member of the World Executive, declared today at the Actions Committee meeting.

Locker replied to an interpellation by the Palestine Laborite, Dr. Dobkin, on behalf of the Histadruth, Central Labor Federation of Palestine.

PROBE VIENNA PAPER

Acting on information furnished by Dr. Dobkin, the World Executive begun an investigation of an alleged Vienna Mizrachi newspaper, which denounced the Poale Zion and the Hechalutz as agents of the Second International, which is now illegal in Austria.

The paper, which was not named, is quoted as saying, “we are glad that the Zionist Marxists have been expelled. We hope that the Austrian Zionist organization will soon sweep out the Hechalutz as well.”

It is understood here that the alleged Mizrachi paper was long ago repudiated by the parent organization. The paper is edited by a former member of the Mizrachi, Malkiel Gruenwald.

SINGER ARRESTED

With the crushing of the Social Democrats, the Dollfuss regime ordered the immediate dissolution of all groups associated with them. The Poale Zion were deprived of their seats on the Jewish community board and the leader of the Poale Zion, Mendel Singer, was arrested and kept in jail for some time.

Later a large number of Hechalutz members were arrested by the Vienna police and questions for hours. They were released upon the intervention of the Jewish community.